I don’t think Avery would trade her canvas bag seat and chalk paint bottles for all the German made toys, dolls, or heck, even dollhouses in the world. Sometimes when I can’t take the chalk bits or the sound of chalk rolling around on the floor anymore I pile it all into the dump truck and shut it in the vestibule.

Basically that means I have to choose between angry baby banging on the plate glass or quiet baby happily stacking paint bottles that shed dried chalk paint all over the floor. So, you know, I mostly just let her play there. I like that sidewalk chalk paint but it goes so fast. What else should I have in the outdoor play arsenal? I found a book about marble games and another about games to play with sidewalk chalk but haven’t actually cracked them open yet. So in the meantime I could use a few new ideas.

HM has gotten into hopskotch lately, so the sidewalk chalk has been being used a lot for that. Also for general drawing. We’ve got some older kids on our block, so there’s a lot of general racing back and forth on the sidewalk, sometimes with scooters & bikes.

Our street is a good bit busier than yours, so obv we keep a pretty close eye when they’re on the sidewalk.

She also LOVES to “play in the dirt” — which is essentially the giant planter I never use, full of potting soil from two years ago. She goes to that end of the porch and uses the separating wall as her play area, dumping dirt into various flower pots and saucers and empty bubble containers, decorating with pebbles and shells ….

Can’t wait to start getting out there with you guys again!! We’ll bring our chalk and bubbles and bikes as well! I have no clue what Aria will be ready to start riding at this point, but I do know that she will want to ride a vehicle of her own…and not want me to help hold on!